Summary
Resident Evilhas been a bit of a hot streak for a while now. After the disappointing reception ofResident Evil 6back in 2012, Capcom took the once-beloved horror franchise back to the drawing board for a little bit. In 2017, the franchise returned with a bang, withResident Evil 7: Biohazardputting a fresh spin on the series while simultaneously hearkening back to its survival horror roots. Since then,Resident Evil’s success has only continued to gain momentum, withResident Evil Villageand multipleREremakes proving the series is in a great spot.
It’s now been officially confirmed thatResident Evil 9is on the way, andResident Evil 7’s Koshi Nakanishiwill be helming the project. Aside from that, nothing official has been confirmed aboutResident Evil 9’s story, setting, or gameplay, but there’s been plenty of speculation. And based on the last fewResident Evilentries, it seems like a real possibility thatResident Evil 9will have some kind of post-launch story DLC.
Story DLC Already Seems Likely for Resident Evil 9
Resident Evil’s Recent History With Story DLC
Story DLC has been a fairly consistent feature ofResident Evilsince 2009’sResident Evil 5. Often considered to be one of the best DLCs in franchise history, and arguably better than the main game itself,Resident Evil 5’s Lost in Nightmares story DLCsees players take control of Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as they explore another one of Spencer’s mansions. With a nostalgic setting and plenty of throwback enemy types and gameplay sequences, Lost in Nightmares feels like a love letter to the originalResident Evil, and its survival horror focus went a long way in making up for the main game’s action focus.
Resident Evil 6had a wealth of multiplayer and Mercenaries DLC but didn’t have any story-related content. But withResident Evil 7’s release in 2017, the franchise’s approach to story DLC was kicked into full gear. Just a week afterResident Evil 7’s release, Capcom dropped the first post-launch story pack for the game, included as part of its season pass. Banned Footage Vol. 1 and 2 contain a handful of small missions and minigames that range from a simple but fun round-based survival mode to a remixed version of theMarguerite Baker boss fight.
In December 2017,Resident Evil 7received two story expansions, Not a Hero and End of Zoe, both of which saw the player control new characters in two fully-fledged mini-campaigns. These DLC packs felt far more substantial than the Banned Footage packs, offering a wealth of new story content and some new gameplay mechanics such as an overhauled melee combat system.Resident Evil Villagealso had plenty of DLC, including a lengthyRose Winters-focused campaign.
TherecentResident Evilremakeshave also experienced their fair share of post-launch story DLCs. Just a few weeks after launch,Resident Evil 2 Remakereceived a free story DLC called Ghost Survivors that gave players four short ‘What if?’ campaigns focused on different Raccoon City survivors. The most recentRErelease,Resident Evil 4 Remakealso had its own lengthy post-launch DLC, remaking the original game’s Separate Ways campaign from the ground up, turning it into a much more substantial experience.
Resident Evil 9 Could Continue The Trend
It seems extremely likely thatResident Evil 9will continue this trend of having some kind of post-launch DLC that adds new story content to the game, with almost everyREentry in the last seven years containing a story DLC or two. It also seems fair to assume that anyResident Evil 9story DLCwill allow players to take control of a different character from the one in the base game, as that’s been a core feature ofRE’s recent story DLCs.
Resident Evil Village
WHERE TO PLAY
Ethan Winters finds himself in an entirely new nightmare in Capcom’s latest installment of the acclaimed Resident Evil franchise. Whether you’re defending against Lycans in the grim dwellings of the village or exploring the lavish Castle Dimitrescu, the meticulously designed environments immerse you in this eerie world, powered by Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. Run from, hide or face off against a diverse cast of terrifying village inhabitants in dream-like - no, nightmarish - situations and fight your instincts to push through classic horror-based sequences. Also, be sure to check out “The Mercenaries” that unlocks once you’ve finished the campaign, a fast-paced and arcade-like game mode which challenges players to blast away enemies against the clock.
